August 9, 2012 – JOHANNESBURG, SA — People slowly came outside despite the cold wind Tuesday across South Africa, pointed their mobile phone cameras to the sky and opened their mouths to taste a rare snowfall that fell on much of the country. The snow began Tuesday morning, part of an extreme cold snap now biting into a nation still in its winter months. By mid-afternoon, officials recorded snowfall across most of South Africa. However, forecasters acknowledged snow remains so unusual that they typically aren’t prepared to provide details about snowfall in the nation. The snow closed some roads and at least one high-altitude pass. The snowfall also closed several border posts in the country. As the snow fell, workers at offices in Johannesburg rushed outside. Some twirled and danced as the flakes fell. One man rushed to the top of a snow-covered hill and slid down, using a cardboard box as an improvised toboggan. Despite the cold and the snow, beggars who line traffic lights in the city continued to ask passing motorists for cash. The snow grew heavier in the afternoon in Johannesburg, covering rooftops and slicking roads. Snowflakes are a rare commodity in Johannesburg, even during winter. South African Weather Service records show it has snowed in Johannesburg on only 22 other days in the last 103 years. The last snow fell there in June 2007. In Pretoria, the country’s capital, flurries filled the sky during a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. It was the first snowfall there since 1968, the weather service said. The cold weather is expected to last a few days. –HP

Snow event first in recorded history: It is probably the first time ever that snow has fallen in all nine of South Africa’s provinces on the same day. Kenosi Machepa from the SA Weather Service said this when referring to the vast cold front that brought snow to Pretoria for the first time since the late 1960s, reported Beeld. In the Western Cape, snow fell on mountains in the Boland as well as in towns like Richmond and Touws River while snow was lying thick on the Matroosberg in Ceres. In Johannesburg, snow was lying up to 20cm deep in some areas while Golden Gate in the Free State got the most snow in six years. In Bethlehem, snow was up to 70cm deep and schools were closed due to the weather. There was also snow in Mpumalanga and Limpopo while light snow fell in the North West. The weather office said the cold would continue for another day or two. –News 24

Alaska: FAIRBANKS –Heavy snow in the Brooks Range caused difficult conditions for travelers on the Dalton Highway today. The Alaska Department of Transportation issued a travel advisory for Atigun Pass at 243-245 Mile. Four to five inches of snow had fallen Tuesday morning and visibility was limited. Drivers are advised to use caution and keep their headlights on. –Fairbanks DN

Moderate earthquake: ANCHORAGE – A moderate earthquake in western Prince William Sound was felt by residents of Anchorage 95 miles to the northwest. Chris Popham (POP’-ham) of the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center says the earthquake occurred at 8:43 a.m. Thursday and showed a preliminary magnitude of5.2. The epicenter was 60 miles northeast of Seward. Popham says the center received a series of phone calls reporting the quake had been felt but no reports of damage. –ADN

The government of the United States of America knows the planet is going through drastic changes & it is getting rapidly worse. They know billions will die when these extreme weather & disasters worsen later this year, & beginning of next year…the proof our government knows of this is the ridiculous amount of commercials being put on tv from the government telling people to prepare for natural disasters & learn how to by going to ready.gov. These commercials are not just limited to the tv..radio, Internet ads, billboards, etc….they know & when the mega disasters begin to happen, the government will not be there to hold your hand. That is why these ads are out, it is everybody for themselves!

I think the government knows more than they are saying or not saying, you actually think they have our welfare in mind? They also control a lot of the media and other organizations, look a lot of whats going on is important and yet the media does not cover it. They will cover some crap that has little or no meaning yet they wont cover any of the strange things that might happen some where else in the world, unless its war, terror. or keeps our mind off of whats really going on. The media will spend a week talking about a storm here but wont say anything about all this other stuff unless its hard to hide and then its only mentioned swiftly and not repeated period. No one I know has any idea about any of this stuff, but they will as the government heads for their bunkers that we paid for ( Surprise!!!!!!!!!!!! )

I sometimes wonder how much the main stream media knows about everything that’s going on. Maybe they can only report/know what the powers-that-be allow them to report/know. Prevents panic (and knowledge) and perhaps allows the government to plan whatever it is they’re planning.

Good morning, still cold this morning, in sunny SA.
I have been reading your site for more than a year and can tell you this.
You are one of only three i know of who is willing to cover all the news all over the planet.
It “scared” me this week to see how many people in my country thought the snow was a blessing.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Thank you again for your great work, keep it up as long as you are allowed

Alvin, just to clear up any confusion, I live 30 miles East of Johanessburg and snow fall is not that
uncommom , neither is large hail also thick frost in winter . I have video of Tuesdays snow fall at my house and pix of the 2007 snow fall a wee bit heavier, the reason we don’t get more frontal snow is our elevation above sea level = 5340 ft and a very strong high pressure zone over us in Winter !

I think Alvin was right on spot in his previous and recent article…the climate change is real but it is not due to human activity, as many think, but due to the poles slowly shifting. Won’t be long before we have another earth change similar to the one about 20,000 years ago that sank Atlantis, plunged the world into an ice age, and inspired the story of Noah’s ark. (Note: this is just my opinion and theory)

Alvin , a small mistake , it only snowed in 8 of the nine provinces and three of these provinces
surrround Gauteng province ( Joburg, Soweto,Pretoria Springs, Krugersdorp ) which is around 150 by 110 miles wide… Eastern Cape, KwaZuluNatal, Orange Free State & Western Cape all surround Lesotho & the Drakensburg mountains so they all see some snow…
We also generally have below freezing night to early morning temps in our winters…
Send me an email link and i can show you a satpic of the actual snow and a small video clip…

Brian,
I’m sorry my friend but one of the weathermen said himself all 9 provinces and that it was unprecedented. Maybe he made the mistake??? Even if this is normal everything else happening is unprecedented. God bless!

Brandon , Limpopo province on the our Nothern border with Zimbabwe had No Snow and if you go on EUMATESAT Latest pix you can see the remaining snow over the Drakensbug in Lesotho & into
Natal… South Africa is a very small country < Joburg to Cape Town 1200 miles, Joburg to Durbam 400 miles , we for decades had only four provinces , the ANC turned that into 9 provinces for political purposes, do the sums..Rather ask yourself why Presiedent Zuma and others like Julius Malema are building underground bunkers like the Obama crowd in America ?.